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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH S. JENNINGS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BALE BAND AND TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,910, dated March15, 1881.

.Application filed January 19, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LVRALPH S. JENNINGs, ofBaltimore city, State ot' Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bale Bands and Ties; and I hereby declare the same to befully, clearly, and exactly de-A scribed as follows, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of apart of the band, portions of the same being broken away to show morefully its construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line X X, Fig. l.Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the band and tie, and Fig. 4c is aperspective View of the loop.

My invention has for its object to provide a substitute for thewrought-iron band and tie used on cotton-bales, dry-goods bales, and foranalogous purposes, which shall be lighter, cheaper, and stronger thanthe iron band, and more readily applied and removed.

To this end I construct the band of wood veneering in the direction ot'the length of the band, and combine therewith a tie adapted to jamrtheends ofthe band and effectively secure the same.

In the drawings, A is the band, composed, by preference, ot' threelayers of wood veneer, b c d, cemented together and having a covering,a, of burlaps or similar textile fabric or strong paper cemented to theband. When using a single band, in order to render the wood tough andpliable, and notliable to split at the corners, where it is bent overthe bale, I subject it to the action of superheated steam, whereby thesap is driven out and the wood thoroughly dried, and then treat it withcotton-seed oil, glycerine, paraftine, or equivalent material mixed witha suitable diluent. The effect of this is to destroy the brittleness ofthe wood and render it impervious to water. The wood is, by preference,sweet-gum, as the same grows in abundance throughout the southern Statesof the Union, and is tough and strong.

I am aware that bands or hoops consisting of a single strip of wood areold, and that tungstate of soda has long been known to possess reproofing properties, and such I do not claim.

The tie is a simple cast or wrought iron clasp, D, whose inner sides areserrated or (No model.)

roughened, as shown at e. In joining the ends of .the band the same arethrust through the clasp D, and a wedge, B,`is driven between the partsof the band, being, by preference, secured by means of a tack, C. Thewedgejams the parts of the band tightly in the tie, where they aregriped by the serrations. rlhe strain of the parts causes the tie totend to tilt, as will be readily understood, increasing the gripe andeft'ectually preventing the ends from slippin g.

Such is the approved mode of constructing and applying the tie and band.Alternatives may be stated for both, as follows:

The band may be composed of any number of layers of veneer, and thetextile fabric may be interposed between some or all of them, or may, ifdesired, be omitted altogether.

In using a single layer of veneer of wood, the same may be covered withburlaps or textile fabric throughout its length, or it may be coveredonly at those portions which come 0pposite the corners of the bale, atwhich points a whipping of wire or cord may be used instead ot' theburlaps. The layers of veneer may be stitched either with cord or wire,preferabl y the latter, and in this case. one layer of the veneer shouldhave its grain crossing the band. The ends may be" otherwise connected,as by stitching or whipping with wire or a different form ofclamping-tie may be used. As stated, however, the described form isdeemed the best;

That I claim is- 1. A composite veneer bale-band with a textile covertreated with tun gstate of soda, whereby it is rendered lire-proof, asdescribed.

2. In combination with the composite veneer band A, the wedge B, theclasp D, having interior serrated faces, adapted, as described, to tiltupon and secure the band, all as set forth.

3. A bale-band consisting ot' two or Inore sheets of veneer cementedtogether, and having a textile cover, a, cemented around the band, asset forth.

RALPH S. JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

J. G. GITTINGER, R. D. WILLIAMS.

